Support Center

What Types of VPN Connections Does UsenetServer Offer?

We offer several different VPN options. Below are some differences and caveats to using them that ought to help you in deciding which one is best for you...

Different Connection Types to Connect (Protocols):

PPTP - Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. If anything is going to work, this will be it. This is typically used on older operating systems and older mobile devices. The downside is that there are some known security vulnerabilities. PPTP is not recommended for very sensitive information, but is recommended for low risk speed intensive browsing, like streaming video.

L2TP - Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol. Recommended for Mobile Devices that will not allow you to install/use the OpenVPN Protocol. It fixes the vulnerabilities seen in PPTP, but as a result it may be a little bit slower speed wise than OpenVPN. Also, because it uses multiple ports, it can be more difficult to configure on a router.

OpenVPN - An open-source project that allows for multiple types of authentication methods, but ultimately uses SSL/TLS (similar to your web browser). If at all possible, it is recommended that you use this. While it typically offers faster access speeds than L2TP, it does require a 3rd party software and certificate files to be installed in order to use it if you are not using the UsenetServer VPN software. Also, support for mobile devices is limited.

UDP: Often faster due to having no error correction. Recommended use when target server is in the same continent and the end user is not in a rural area.

TCP: Uses error correction so that lost packets don't have to be retransmitted as often. Recommended for connections to servers that are far away and/or if the end user shows packet loss when connecting to server.

Both PPTP and L2TP need the PPTP & L2TP pass-through options in the firewall/router's management interface to be enabled (if applicable). Routers without these options may not support PPTP or L2TP traffic.